McGarrett's Mermaid
by Leni-H50
Summary: A stranger confides in Mary McGarrett, only to discover that she is no stranger to Steve. The two soon find themselves in a life or death situation. Will Steve be able to save them in time? Steve/Catherine Mary,Danny
1. Chapter 1

**A stranger confides in Mary McGarrett, only to discover that she is no stranger to Steve. The two soon find themselves in a life or death situation. Will Steve be able to save them in time?**

**McGarrett's Mermaid**

**Chapter 1**

John F Kenney International Airport was one of the busiest airports in the world. Today was no exception. Mary McGarrett and Julie Talbet carefully prepared Hawaiian Airlines flight 50 for departure. The food service was in place, the magazines carefully lined up in the racks. Pillows fluffed, blankets folded, the cabin was ready for its passengers.

"Good Morning, ladies" Captain Thomas Mayfield greeted them with a smile.

"Good Morning Captain" Mary and Julie replied in unison, returning the smile.

"Ladies, today we have some special passengers aboard. I would greatly appreciate it if we gave them a little bit of extra attention" The Captain stated

"Who are they?" Mary asked

"The US Navy" The Captain responded with pride. Captain Thomas Mayfield was a retired Navy pilot himself and was very proud of it.

"These sailors are coming off of a long deployment. Some are going on leave, some going home, and some are simply reporting for their next assignment. Just a little TLC and no charge for food or drinks. Thank you ladies" the respect and sincerity in Captain Mayfield's voice was evident.

"Ooh, we have a long flight and it's going to be full of Navy men. Hopefully, Hot, Navy men" Julie was excited at this prospect.

"Don't get too hot and bothered. I know Navy men and trust me they're not as wonderful as you think. Actually they're set in their ways and emotionally stunted" Mary was quick to respond

"Wow, someone really messed with your head" Julie remarked

"Well, yeh, my brother's a Navy guy, my father was a Navy guy and even my grandfather was a Navy guy. I was surrounded by Navy guys and then… never mind. My life is a tragedy that you don't want to hear about" Mary suddenly began preparing for the arrival of the first passengers.

The crew was in place and the first passengers began boarding. The boarding was smooth and uneventful. Once all the passengers were seated, the group of 15 sailors was given permission to board. In a single file they walked the narrow isle of the plane in search of their designated seats. The passengers stood and applauded, some saluted and others offered to shake hands. The words _Thank you_ resonated throughout the cabin and the sailors smiled as they walked passed.

The flight's departure was on schedule. The passengers seemed pleasant and the sailors were all laughing and joking as the flight took air.

Several hours into the flight, Mary and Julie, along with several other flight attendants noticed that the cabin was quiet. The passengers were engaged in their movies, laptops and books. The group of sailors had quieted down quite a bit. Mary had noticed that most of them were asleep; apparently they had been traveling for days. She did notice one particular sailor that was wide awake, staring blindly out the window, despite the body of a young ensign resting on her shoulder, fast asleep. She was one of only three female sailors in the group.

Mary approached. "Can I get you anything?"

"No thank you."

Mary began to walk away, when she stopped and turned back. "Do I know you?"

"I don't think so"

"Are you sure? You look kind of familiar. What's your name?" Mary asked

"Rollins, Lieutenant Catherine Rollins" Catherine responded "Come to think about it, you look a little familiar too"

"Name doesn't ring a bell. Awe well. "Mary turned and started to walk away and once again stopped.

"Are you sure I can't get you anything? I mean you seem a little preoccupied" Mary asked

"No Thank you." She answered in a solemn tone

"Are you feeling ok, are you sick?" Mary persisted

"I'm fine, I promise. It's just… well you see… it's just been a long day, actually a long deployment. We've been deployed for 11 months and now our ship was decommissioned. They gave us two weeks leave and there's this guy…never mind, it's complicated" Catherine decided she shouldn't be spilling her guts to a total stranger.

"A guy, huh?" Mary sat on the arm rest of the seat directly in front of Catherine. "Hey at least you've got a guy"

Catherine couldn't help but smile "Yes, I do, Sort of."

"What do you mean sort of? Either you do or you don't" Mary questioned

"It's a complicated, long story. I am sure you have better things to do than to sit here listening to my sob story. You should be flirting with these guys, like your friend over there" Catherine nodded towards Julie who was giggling with a small group of young ensigns.

Mary looked and laughed "I don't do Navy men"

"Oh really? Well if I would have had that philosophy 8 years ago, I would not be in this predicament" Catherine raised her eyebrow and laughed, though her heart felt differently.

"Ok, spill it. I want to know everything." Mary leaned in and waited for a response

"Don't you have work to do?" Catherine was trying to get rid of the persistent flight attendant. "No. Not for a while. It's a long flight" Mary persisted

Catherine was reluctant, but she was longing for someone to talk to and maybe a perfect stranger that she would never see again was that person. "Ok. You see there is this guy. Well, he's not just a guy. He's my best friend, and well you know, special friend." Catherine didn't know how to classify her relationship

"Friends with benefits" Mary interjected

"Yeh, but not really. You see we started off as coworkers. Then we became the best of friends, still are. But then something happened, and one night we took it to the next level and well, we've been stuck there for the last seven years."

"Seven years? You've been sleeping with this guy for seven years? Why are you still with him? If he hasn't committed after seven years, he never will. It doesn't matter how good he is in bed. " Mary had the situation figured out.

"It's not that easy. He's been going through some family stuff. At first he was the one, who was deployed, then I was the one who was deployed, and now I am going to be permanently stationed at Pearl."

"Were does he live?" Mary asked

"Honolulu." Catherine answered softly

"Ok, so now that you are going to be close, maybe he'll make his move. I say tell him how you feel and give him an ultimatum" Mary was confident in her advice

"No way. I won't do that. He's dealing with some pretty heavy stuff. I have to either stick it out or just walk away. I can't, no, I won't, put any more pressure on him than he already has. His job is emotionally draining and he's on a personal crusade that he thinks he's sheltering me from, but it's my job to know what's going on. Truth is I love him. I try to tell myself that I would be so much better off without him, but I don't think I could live without him. I cannot believe I just said that. I have a tough decision to make. I mean I am 34 years old, my career is coming to a halt and I want more. I don't think it's wrong to want more, but it's not fair for me to force it on him." She paused. "I've said too much. I really appreciate your concern and I like you, but this is just too personal to be telling a total stranger"

"I understand. I didn't mean to pry. You see, my family life is so screwed up and I felt like you and I had some kind of connection. I don't have a lot of friends, ok, I don't have any friends, but I feel like I already know you; like we were friends in some alternate Universe or something. I am sorry that you are going through this. Love sucks, but you do have to do what makes you happy. You will find someone who will make you happy. I believe that, I have to"

Catherine stared at Mary. She couldn't figure out if she was some freak or just a lost soul. Either way, she hated to admit it but she liked her too.

"I will leave you alone, here is my number" Mary wrote her cell phone number on a napkin and handed it to Catherine. "If you decide you need someone to talk to, call me. Oh and if you finally decide to dump that loser of a boyfriend, let me know. I have a brother who is really hot, smart and could use a beautiful intelligent girl like you. He lives on the island and I can introduce you when we land, he's picking me up"

"If he's so smart and hot, why doesn't he have a girlfriend?" Catherine replied with a snarl

"He has this job that takes up all of his time. He is a Navy guy, but he's in the reserves and he's some kind of cop. He heads some super government task force or something; I am not really sure what he does"

At that moment Catherine's eyes grew wide and she let out a gasp "Oh God! Your Mary! Steve's sister!"

"You know Steve?… wait a minute… you're the chick with no pants, you cut your hair" Mary stood up

The sleepy ensign that sat next to Catherine suddenly opened his eyes and in a half sleeping tone replied "Rollins with no pants?"

Catherine turned to him and whispered "Your dreaming, go back to sleep"

"You cut your hair too. I knew I recognized you, I just couldn't figure out from where" Catherine was mortified. She had just spilled her guts to Steve's sister. "Please, Mary, don't tell him what I told you"

Mary knelt down and leaned into Catherine "I won't. But now that I know that it's Steve that you were talking about, I have to say, please don't give up on him. He really is a great guy. He needs someone who loves him, and if you meant what you said, that someone is you"

"Mary, we need to prepare for landing" Julie approached placing her hand on Mary's shoulder

Mary smiled at Catherine and proceeded to the galley.

Catherine could not believe that she just opened up her emotions to a perfect stranger, worse to Steve's sister. She had planned on taking a day or two for herself, before seeing Steve. The fact that he's at the airport waiting for this exact flight, means that the surprise will be sooner than later. Her decision would have to be sooner also.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thank you so much for the reviews, alerts, and PM's. It means a lot to me. For those that were concerned about the Danny and Mary pairing, it's not really what you think, just trust me, please.**_

Steve stood in the terminal and waited patiently for the passengers to exit. He looked around and took note of the others. There were woman and children holding signs reading _Welcome Home_. Two young men were holding flowers. There was a row of chauffeurs with signs bearing the name of businessmen. He paced as the passengers entered. Children ran with cries of "Daddy!" and couples embraced and kissed. Friends hugged and businessmen shook hands. Steve watched with awe. He had seen this play out many times in his life. He was rarely on the receiving end of one of those greetings.

The crowd had dispersed and Steve stood alone. He looked around thinking that perhaps he had missed her, when suddenly the doors opened and a group of flight attendants emerged. The group parted and Steve was surprised to see the two women that stood before him. He could not believe his eyes. He expected to see Mary, but he did not expect to see Catherine beside her. A smile erupted from his face as he watched them approach. Catherine was a sight for sore eyes, actually they both were. The past month had been riddled with one case after another and for the first time in a long time, Five-0 had the weekend off. As the two woman approached, he immediately grabbed Catherine in his arms and held her tightly.

"Hey, what about me? Do I get a hug?" Mary remarked. She was smiling, because his reaction was exactly what she hoped it would be.

"Sure" He released Catherine and hugged her. "I don't understand. What? I mean, how?" Steve stuttered

"Wow, SuperSEAL here is at a loss for words" Mary said with sarcasm

Catherine smiled. "Surprise!" she said.

"But how did you two…?" He still couldn't get the words out.

"You see I met this really nice flight attendant who was trying to set me up with her brother" Catherine smiled

"Oh really? And you were willing to meet _this_ brother?" he said

"Well, a girl has to keep her options open, you know" Catherine replied with a smirk. She was obviously joking.

"Yeh, you see, she said that she's stuck in this relationship that's going nowhere and I thought she might like to meet my handsome brother. I mean any guy would be lucky to have her" Mary never did know when to shut up. Catherine was not happy with her remark.

"Mary!" Catherine scolded her

Steve interrupted "Wait a minute, is that how you feel? That you're _stuck_ and we're going nowhere?" Steve was disappointed in the remark and looked at Catherine with a squint in his eye.

Catherine didn't know how to respond. She did feel that way, but he wasn't supposed to know that. Not yet, not now, not in the middle of Honolulu International Airport.

There was a moment of silence as Steve and Catherine stared into each other's eyes. Catherine broke the stare and biting her lower lip asked "Can I get a lift to my hotel?"

Before Steve could reply, Mary responded "Hotel? You're not staying at a hotel. You're going to stay with us, right Steve?" She glared at him

"Of course, I mean why would you stay at a hotel?" He asked

"The base housing had no availability, so I figured I would stay at a hotel until I found something more permanent" Catherine waiting for him to say something

"You're not on leave? You mean to say that you've been reassigned back to Pearl?" Steve was surprised.

"Yes, the Enterprise was decommissioned. Didn't you know that?" She was sure that he would have known

"No, I have been busy with one case after another. That's great. You stay with me as long as you want" He smirked

"Are you sure? I mean you have Mary staying with you, and I know you like your privacy and all" Steve interrupted her thought "Mary leaves tomorrow and I would like for you to stay, If you want to"

"Oh my God! You two are ridiculous. Can we go now?" Mary was impatient. She could now understand how their relationship was _stuck_ as Catherine put it. Neither one of them was willing to make a move. She had her job cut out for her. _I've got 24 hours to get these two to move forward. Yeh, piece of cake_ she thought as she watched them sneak glances at each other.

"Listen, I was thinking" Mary broke the silence as they drove "we should have a barbeque. Let's get your team together and we'll have a nice dinner on the beach and just all get to know each other."

"That sounds like fun" Catherine agreed. She was happy for the suggestion. She wasn't ready for a confrontation with Steve and she knew that if they were alone, that is exactly what would happen.

"Well, the only problem with that is that Chin and Kono are at a family wedding on the big Island" Steve wanted to scrap the idea; he wanted to have a talk with Catherine alone. Getting Mary to leave them alone would be easy.

"What about that cute little partner of yours? He could come." Mary had a crush on Danny.

"My cute partner? I guess I could call him" Steve was reluctant.

"Well, call him!" Mary demanded

Steve looked at Catherine and with disappointment he reached for his phone.

"Can't live without me for two hours?" Danny answered.

"Mary and Cath are here and they want you to come over for a barbeque on the beach. I know that you probably have other plans so…" Steve was trying to drop a hint to Danny to say no.

"I would love to see Mary again, and Cath too. Sure, I'll be right over. I'll pick up some beer." He hung up before Steve could respond to his comment.

Steve was beginning to feel like the world was conspiring against him. He had planned for a nice quiet evening with his sister, only to be surprised by Cath. He was thrilled to see Cath. Truth be told he missed her a great deal. His excitement was soon deflated by the revelation that his girlfriend is feeling stuck in their relationship. _What the hell does that mean?_ He thinks to himself. He figures he needs to be alone with her to discuss this, only to have his sister decide that she wants to hang out with his friends. _Since when does she care about my friends? _And now he finds out that Mary has a possible crush on Danny. _No way is that going to happen. _ Steve was not having a good evening and he had a feeling that it was only going to get worse. He looked down at his phone and silently wished it would ring with an important case that needed his immediate attention. Unfortunately for him, the phone sat dormant on the console of the truck as he drove to his house.


	3. Chapter 3

_**I am sorry that I can't respond to each review and PM but I very very much appreciate it and I read every single one. Please keep them coming. **_

"So babe, when did this happen?" Danny handed Steve a beer as they stood on the Lanai and watched Catherine and Mary laughing and giggling together. Mary and Catherine were sitting at the edge of the shore. They were enjoying each other's company as their feet caught the gentle laps of water with each wave.

"I have no freakin' idea" Steve answered as he took a gulp of beer. "They apparently met on the plane. Now they're like best friends or something. Can you believe that? There are like hundreds of flights coming into HNL every day and those two end up on the same one. And who actually talks to the stewardesses? I mean really?"

"Whoa, relax buddy. Besides, I talk to the stewardesses. You don't? Oh that's right, you only have eyes for Ramboette over there" Danny nodded towards the ocean. "What's going on? Why are you so angry?"

Steve finished up the beer he had in his hand and reached for another. "Apparently Cath is feeling stuck in our relationship and she spilled her guts to Mary. She didn't know Mary was my sister and she was going to meet her brother, to keep her options open." He used his fingers to make quotation marks.

"Ummm, Babe, Mary's brother is you" Danny knew exactly what Steve meant, but he was finding this quite amusing.

"She didn't know that. And why is she telling a stranger about us" Steve was clearly upset.

"Well, let's see… when was the last time you actually went on a date? I mean a real date. Not here at your place, not on a ship, not on a base? And don't count the charity dinner, because we all know that she ended up eating with the Governor's wife." Danny was smirking, he loved this.

"I don't know. Dinner is not a relationship. We are way beyond that. After 8 years, I think that we don't have to abide by all the formalities of dating" He was explaining.

"What? 8 Years? You have been with her for 8 years? Exclusive for 8 years?" Danny was shocked.

"Yes, so?" Steve didn't know why Danny was so surprised

"You realize that within 8 years, I met Rachel, got married, had Gracie, got divorced and ended up here on this Island. You have been stringing her along for 8 years and nothing?" Danny was ranting.

"First of all stop saying 8 years, please. Second of all it's different. We were rarely on the same side of the planet and when we were, it was brief. Time just flew. I never intended it to get serious, it just happened" Steve grabbed another beer and sat on the steps. Danny sat next to him.

"What are you going to do?" Danny asked with genuine concern

"I don't know. I mean, I love her, but that's about all I can offer right now" Steve played with the label on the bottle.

"Tell her that" Danny made it sound so easy.

Before Steve could reply, Mary walked passed them. She smiled at Danny and slowly bent down to get two beers from the cooler. Danny watched. Steve punched Danny in the shoulder.

"Ow! What did you do that for?" Danny was rubbing his arm as Mary giggled at the attention that she was receiving.

"Are you guys going to sit there, or are you going to grab two chairs and join us?" Mary asked as she wiggled passed.

"I'll go." Danny grabbed the folded chair that lay against the wall and walked with Mary to the shore.

Steve remained on the lanai and slowly got up and proceeded to the barbeque. He started the fire and carefully placed the steaks on the grill. He stood vigil at the grill occasionally glancing at his friends.

Catherine turned and saw Danny and Mary walking towards her. She sat up to get a better look and noticed that Steve had taken his position at the grill. Disappointed, she slumped into the chair.

"I tried" Mary whispered to Catherine.

"That's ok. He's pissed. It's probably better this way" Catherine got up, and in one motion dove into the water. She swam with a purpose and gently pushed each wave, carrying herself further and further away from shore. Eventually she changed direction and swam parallel, doing laps, back and forth, effortlessly. She loved to swim and sunset was her favorite time to do it.

Steve took notice of her, when she got up from the chair. He secretly hoped she was coming to talk to him, but when she walked closer to the water, he knew she was upset. She always swam when she was upset. He loved to watch her swim; she had perfect form and was actually a better swimmer than he was. He may have been a stronger swimmer, but she was much more graceful; perfection in the water. His little mermaid, that's what his SEAL team called her. He smiled at the thought.

Releasing his aggression on the Steaks that sat on the grill, he flipped them. He flipped them so hard the grill shook and each time the fire ignited making a crackling sound that made Danny and Mary turn.

"If those steaks weren't already dead, they would be now" Mary laughed

"He's just pissed off. And how long do you suppose she's going keep doing laps?" Danny laughed as he nodded to the water.

"She's disappointed in him. Do you see a pattern here? These two have to stay together. I mean, come on, they're like the same person" Mary and Danny chuckled. Mary placed her hand on Danny's leg and the two of them laughed at the drama that was unfolding before them. Mary told Danny about her plan to get them together and Danny was more than willing to do his part.

"You know that they are already together. They just don't know what to do with each other" Danny remarked

"Oh trust me, they know what to do. I was in the next room last time I was here. It was very loud and I swear, the whole house was shaking" Mary giggled

"Ok, that's not what I meant. I meant that they don't know how to proceed with this relationship. Steve is afraid that if he doesn't "do" something, she will leave him. He doesn't want that to happen, but he feels that he can't officially bring her into his life, until he takes care of WoFat. I mean look what happened to you" Danny defended his friend's actions

"I know." She suddenly became serious "We can't let that son of a bitch ruin our lives more than he already has. I like Catherine, a lot. I would love to have her as my sister, but, I do understand. He needs to tell her the truth. She's smart, she'll get it." Mary slumped into her chair and began to cry. "I hate that guy. I really hate him"

Danny leaned over and hugged her. "We all do. I promise, we'll get him. I don't know when, but we will"

Steve turned to look and see what was happening when he saw Danny leaning over into Mary's chair. He couldn't tell what was going on, but it appeared that he was hugging her, or kissing her, or… _No, no, no, this is not going to happen._ Steve turned off the grill, grabbed two beers and swiftly walked towards them. He was determined not to let Danny and his sister hook up.

Catherine emerged from the water, just as Steve approached the row of chairs. Catherine paused, Steve paused. They both stared at Danny and Mary, as they were engaged in a sultry kiss.

"Danny! What the hell are you doing?" He shouted

Danny jumped up and wiped his mouth with his hand, he was embarrassed.

"Are you kidding me? Don't yell at him. If he wants to kiss me, so what" Mary jumped out of her seat and scolded Steve

"I can't believe this" Steve threw his hand up in surrender and turned to walk away.

As he turned, he found Catherine standing directly in front of him. "There not children Steve. You can't keep telling people what to do and how they should feel" She spoke softly, but it felt like a dagger had stabbed him in the heart.

"How do you feel? You know what, don't answer that" He walked up the beach, leaped over the steps, open the French doors and slammed them shut. The sound of breaking glass echoed across the beach.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Let me know what you think, so far. **_

Danny, Mary and Catherine stood on the steps of the lanai trying to figure out who was brave enough to go inside. Mary and Catherine's bags where in the living room and Danny's keys were on the kitchen counter. Mary and Catherine were wearing bathing suits, very tiny bathing suits that would surely raise a few eyebrows trying to check into a hotel with what little clothing they had on. Danny would have to walk home.

"I am not going in there" Mary announced taking a seat on the steps, with her arms crossed.

"Hey, don't look at me, he's armed and the last time I pissed him off, he almost broke my arm" Danny also took a seat, also crossing his arms.

"Fine, I'll do it. You guys are useless, totally useless" Catherine nodded her head, took a deep breath and slowly opened what remained of the door.

She whispered to them "Hopefully he went upstairs. I'll just sneak in and get your keys, and then I'll quietly get our bags." She hoped her training would come in handy as she carefully entered, her bare feet tip toeing around the broken glass.

Steve sat in his recliner in the living room. He was leaning back, with his feet on the foot rest, his eyes closed, and the palms of his hands pressed against his forehead. He heard the door open and the scent of coconut oil suddenly filled the room._ That must be Catherine _he thought. He remained seated, with his eyes closed. _I wonder what she's trying to do. Let's see, I bet she'll first go into the kitchen and get Danny's keys off the counter, then she'll make her way in here, and thinking that I am upstairs, she'll try to get their bags from the hallway. She is so predictable._

Catherine managed to get the keys undetected, so she thought. She proceeded to make her way to the living room when she suddenly felt a sharp pain on the bottom of her foot. "Damn!" She shouted without thinking.

Steve immediately jumped out of his chair and ran to where she was. He found her leaning against the wall, holding her left foot up as tears fell from her eyes. The floor was slowly pooling with blood.

"Are you ok?" He asked

"Do I look like I am ok? No I am not ok. I've got a chunk of glass jammed into the bottom of my foot" Catherine snapped obviously in pain.

Steve couldn't help but smirk. "Can I help you or are you going to bite my head off?" he asked with sarcasm

Her voice softened "Yes, please, you can help me. It really hurts" she was tired of the senseless fighting

He approached her. Lifted her in his arms and sat her on the kitchen counter. He grabbed a towel and placed it on his thigh. Leaning the heel of her foot on the towel, he carefully examined it. He grabbed a hold of the piece of glass and gently, but swiftly pulled it out. He immediately covered the wound with the towel.

"Does that feel better?" he asked as he stared at her while putting pressure on the cut.

"Yes, thank you." She stared back

He left her sitting on the counter as he turned to open a drawer. He removed some gauze, anti-biotic ointment, and an ACE bandage. He gently lifted her foot, cleaned the wound and covered it with the gauze. He unwrapped the ACE bandage and gently wrapped her foot. His mere touch was enticing to her, she could not resist him, and found herself slowly falling under his spell. He knew she couldn't resist him as the hero and she was surely his damsel in distress.

"Is this necessary? It's just a cut" she questioned his motives

"We need to make sure that it doesn't get infected. We wouldn't want to have to cut off that beautiful foot of yours now would we?" he raised his eyebrow.

A smile tried to escape, but she managed to hold it in. She wanted desperately to wrap her legs around his waist and have her way with him. After all he was in the perfect position and she had been out to sea for far too long. As if he read her mind, he began to caress her legs and slowly moved his hands across her waist. "That swim suit should be classified as a WMD". He kissed her.

"You like it. I bought it in Greece. One of the perks" she kissed him back.

He smiled and returned the kiss leaning further into her. He caressed her hips and gently tugged at the neatly tied bows of her bikini "So tell me Lieutenant, what happens if I pull these?"

"I don't know, sir, perhaps it requires some investigating" She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and with her legs around his waist; she tightened her grip, pulling him closer.

He gently tugged and the strings unraveled, the bottom portion of the suit collapsed on the counter. His body reacted to hers and her grip got stronger. He grabbed her tightly, pressing her body against his and before they knew it, he was making love to her, right there on the counter kitchen.

_Meanwhile outside_

"Ok she's taking way too long, you think he killed her and is out disposing the body or something?" Danny was joking but part of him suspected that Steve was angry enough to do it.

"I don't think that's the sound of a murder. Listen… Do you hear that? I think they're making up" Mary was laughing.

"Where is that coming from? The only window here is the office and the kitchen. The office is in full view, so that leaves….Ewww, the kitchen!" Danny was sure that he would never eat in the kitchen again.

"We still need our stuff. Do we just sit here and wait till they are done, or do we sneak in?" Mary needed a plan.

"If they are in the kitchen, then we have a clear path to the living room, except I don't have keys to my car. But Steve keeps the keys to his truck by the front door. So here is the plan. We sneak in; go straight to the living room, get your bag, I'll grab his keys and we leave them alone to figure out their own issues. Yes?" Danny was proud of his plan.

"Sounds good, let's do it" Mary jumped up and grabbed Danny's hand.

Carefully they executed the plan. It worked. Just as they made their way to the front door, Mary paused. "Wait a minute" She opened her purse, took out a piece of paper and a pen. _**Call me, lunch tomorrow, you and me. **_She placed the paper on the handle of Catherine's bag. "Let's go!"

"So where to, my lady?" Danny asked as he did his best Price Charming impression.

"How about your place?" Mary hinted

"Really? Ok." Danny smiled as he drove away. With one hand on the wheel and the other holding Mary's hand, he had a smile that would light up the town.


	5. Chapter 5

_**And… the adventure begins**_

Mary and Catherine sat at small waterfront restaurant. They had been seated at a small corner table on the outside patio, along the water. The sun was shining and it was an exceptionally clear day. The air was warm, but the soft breeze made it tolerable.

"So did you really go home with Danny last night?" Catherine asked

"Yes, but nothing happened. He was a gentleman. That's the first time I ever went home with a guy and he didn't even try to make a move" Mary was disappointed

"Well, I thought you were going to give your brother a heart attack yesterday" Catherine laughed

"He's so uptight. I don't know what the hell the big deal is. But anyway, enough about me, what happened with you guys?" Mary asked

"Nothing, as usual." Catherine responded, taking a sip of her pink umbrella drink.

"Well, I heard something, and it sure as hell wasn't nothing. By the way, you really need to work on the whole being quiet thing. Especially since we'll all be living together" Mary leaned in to whisper.

Catherine blushed "I don't think I'll be living there. I mean yes, we ended up sleeping together, as usual, but he completely ignored everything that happened. He does that. He thinks that if he doesn't talk about it, it will just go away"

"Catherine, listen, he's just afraid. Danny and I had a long talk last night and he says that Steve thinks that if he lets you get too close, then you'll become a target for WoFat. He's protecting you in his own stupid way" Mary saw the sadness in her eyes.

"I know, but the truth is how long do we put our lives on hold? He may never catch that guy and honestly, I am willing to take the risk. I just think that he is using that as an excuse. I was around long before he knew anything about WoFat, and he's always had that wall up, he's had it up for a long time. He is a SEAL and his training teaches him not to feel." Catherine turned to look at the boats that passed.

"You're wrong. He feels, he feels too much, that's the problem. When he cares about someone, that's when he pushes them away. He pushed me away, he pushed my dad away. He tries to push you away, but can't quite do it. He loves you, Danny said so. He's afraid something will happen to you and it will be his fault" Mary was about to continue when there was suddenly a loud noise, the building rocked and the foundation collapsed plummeting the concrete, and its patrons into the water.

The water suddenly became cloudy and there was debris floating everywhere. Catherine grabbed Mary's arm as they dropped into the cold water. The concrete pillars that held the patio collapsed onto each other trapping them and several others under the water. Taking note of the surroundings and the inability to surface, Catherine noticed an air pocket and swam to it, dragging Mary with her. The others followed, but as they swam, debris fell, blocking the pocket from the few who were following. Catherine held onto Mary and would not let her go until they reached their safety.

They lifted themselves on a piece of concrete and raised their heads into the pocket of air. They both gasped for air.

"Are you ok?" Catherine asked Mary

"No I am not ok, what the hell was that? Oh my God, we're going to die! We … are… going… to die! Those people are dead!" Mary was panicked

Catherine grabbed Mary by the shoulders and looked at her directly "We are not going to die; we have at least a couple of hours of air. Don't panic and try not to make any sudden movements" Catherine appeared to be calm but she wasn't. She needed Mary to believe what she was saying.

Once again the surroundings rumbled and more debris dropped into the water. The small waterfront building had collapsed on top of them. The pillars had held and the air bubble remained intact. Mary grabbed onto Catherine and the two women held onto each other. Catherine knew now that their chances of survival had just decreased and the rescue would be nearly impossible. She tried to maintain hope, but was finding it very difficult.

"Catherine? We're going to die, aren't we?"Mary's voice had become erringly calm and it appeared that she had come to the realization that this was it.

_**Meanwhile at Danny's apartment**_

"Stop banging on the door, I am coming." Danny opened the door. Steve stood holding a 6 pack of Longboards and a grin.

"Sorry" He casually pushed Danny aside and entered. "Beer?"

"Thanks" Danny took the beer and opened it, taking a gulp.

Steve began to wander around Danny's small apartment as he was searching for something, someone.

"She's not here" Danny shouted from the other room

"Who, Mary, I wasn't looking for her. Ok, so I was. What happened?" Steve wanted to know how far Danny and Mary had gone last night. "On second thought, I don't want to know" He really hated the idea of them being together.

"Listen Steve, she spent the night, but I slept on the couch, alone. I know that this is really bugging you and if you really don't want me seeing her, I'll back off."

Steve didn't know how to respond. Initially he was completely opposed to the idea of Danny and Mary together, but truth is, he was no longer sure how he felt.

"Now, don't think that you have a say in my love life or anything, but she is your sister and you are my best friend, so I'll give you a free pass on this one, anyway, we just talked. We talked about you." He knew that comment would make Steve very uncomfortable and it did.

"Oh, Ok." Steve pretended that he didn't care. He did.

"So, where is she?" he asked

"Who Mary, or do you mean, where is Catherine? She didn't tell you where she went? She went out to lunch with your sister. They're quickly becoming very close." Danny added.

"I don't like that. They are nothing alike. Mary has trouble following her everywhere" Steve grabbed another beer, sat on the couch, flipped off his slippers and turned on the Television.

"Maybe Mary has changed and having a good influence like Catherine around may actually be good for her. She's matured, Steve. She's different. I wish you would just give her a chance. She wants to be close to you. She said you used to be very close as kids." Danny was defending Mary. He liked her.

"I guess you're right." Without missing a beat, he changed the subject "So what do you want to do? Apparently Mary is occupying my girlfriend, so how about we go fishing?" Steve was flipping through the channels.

"Fishing? Really? No. How about we order a pizza and just relax. No dead bodies, no explosions, no women, just peace and quiet." Danny dropped on the couch, next to Steve and grabbed the remote.

_**We interrupt our regularly scheduled programing for a special report.**_

_**There has been a building collapse in the Waterfront area. We will bring you further information as it comes available. We now return to our regularly scheduled program already in progress.**_

Danny and Steve looked at each other and then looked at their phones. They were both preparing for the phones to ring and sure enough they did. They each grabbed their respective phones and at the same time responded "We will be right there".

"So much for a nice relaxing day" Danny grabbed his shoes and the two of them ran out of the apartment.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Thank you for the reviews, and alerts. Your opinions are very important and they help me with future fics, so please keep them coming. **_

The silver Camaro approached to find a clutter of police cars, ambulances, and bulldozers. There were fire trucks and fireboats putting out the remnants of a fire, as sand and smoke filled the air. Steve and Danny approached Duke and his men.

"What happened?" Danny asked

"It appears that a boat lost control and slammed into the structure causing it to just give way. The outdoor dining area is completely submerged and the building collapsed on top of it. According to the hostess, there were 8 people eating outside. Only two have been accounted for. The people inside managed to escape before the remainder of the building went down. We have to assume that those that went into the water did not survive. It appears that they were buried beneath the rubble." Duke was saddened by this.

The fire chief approached. "The accident should not have been enough to bring the building down, but from my brief examination, it appears that the building was not up to code. The recent remodel was done on the cheap and it appears that the materials were black market. The building is clear for now, you can go in whenever you're ready, but be careful, it is very unstable and there is a lot of debris and broken glass"

"Thank you" Steve responded. "Has anyone interviewed the witnesses? What about the driver of the boat?"

Duke approached "The driver was rushed to the hospital and yes, we did interview the witnesses, but no one really saw anything. They were eating, there was a loud noise, and suddenly the building shook and the patio area plummeted into the water. The guests ran out immediately and within seconds the remainder of the building collapsed. Apparently the people on the patio didn't have a chance to react. The collapse was instant. We managed to fish out two bodies and have identified them. The recovery team is going back in the water to try to find the others. The hostess was able to give us descriptions of the patrons that are missing, but we have no names. We expect families to begin to look for their loved ones. Here is the list"

Danny took the list and scanned it. Mumbling as he read "There was a young local couple approximately 27 years old, three businessmen with a woman, dressed in business attire, two women one wearing a flight attendants uniform and the other with shoulder length dark hair. The hostess remembered that the dark haired woman was limping." Danny paused. _Oh, God, no._ Covering his face with his hands and trying to keep the benefit of the doubt, he picked up his phone and moved away from the crowd. He desperately hoped that it was a coincidence and that it wasn't them, but deep down he knew it was. The number he dialed rang and rang, going to voicemail. Danny hung up and called HPD, all the while keeping a look out to see if Steve was looking. Steve was coordinating with the dive team.

"Hey Larry, do me a favor, track the number I just sent you and tell me where this phone is" Danny instructed the officer at HPD.

"It's coming from your location, actually about 15 feet from where you are standing" Larry responded.

"Thank you" He hung up the phone and sat on the ground rubbing his fingers through his hair. Fifteen feet was in the water, beneath tons of concrete and wood. Gathering whatever strength and composure he had, he approached Steve, placing his hand on his shoulder and guided him away from the crowd.

"Steve, sit down." Danny instructed as Steve looked at him with a confused look.

Danny paced as Steve watched. "Listen, I tried to call Mary and she isn't answering her phone. I triangulated her signal and its coming from….here" He handed Steve the list of descriptions and pointed to the bottom. " I am so sorry" Danny touched Steve's arm.

Steve pulled his arm away from Danny and walked away with a determined look on his face.

"Where are you going?" Danny shouted.

"I'm getting equipment, I 'm going in the water." He continued walking towards the dive team and shouted "They are not dead, Danny. I know they are not dead! They can't be" he continued walking without turning to see Danny's reaction.

"I'm cold" Mary was shivering as she clung to Catherine.

"Hang on, they'll find us. That stupid brother of yours will find us" Catherine knew that chances were slim. Nobody knew where they were. All she could do was hope. She hoped that they would eventually be missed and Steve and Danny would start to look for them. _Mary had a flight to catch; perhaps the airline would call looking for her. Maybe Steve and Danny will look for them and track their phones. Maybe they're already here. But no, they have the weekend off; they're probably out fishing or hiking. They probably have no clue that this has even happened. _Her thoughts were running wild. Her adrenaline was in full swing, she needed to calm herself down. She needed to keep Mary calm. The air pocket was getting smaller, she could feel the oxygen levels decrease with each breath. The water was rising and the visual mark she had on one of the columns was now submerged. _We don't have a lot of time_.

"We're going to make it, ok Mary? Just don't give up on me." Catherine was afraid Mary would give up and give in to cold and exhaustion.

Steve was shirtless and proceeded to adjust his dive tank. Danny approached. "I just spoke to the rescue leader and he said that he advised you not to go in. He said he pulled his team out, because the debris is unstable. You can't go down there Steve"

"Watch me!" Steve proceeded to the water's edge and dangled his feet in the water. He adjusted his mask and placed it over his head. Danny grabbed his arm.

"This is suicide. There is no way they could have survived and if they did, there is no way they could have held their breath this long" Danny words were harsh but Steve needed a reality check.

"You forget something Danny." Steve looked up to where Danny stood. "She's my mermaid. If anyone can survive this, it's her. And she will never leave Mary behind. They're alive, I know it. I just know it. I feel it" He lowered his mask and jumped in.

Every few minutes or so, Steve emerged from the water carrying one body after another. He had retrieved 3 of the 6 people that were missing. Tired and emotionally drained he climbed up on land and requested a new dive tank. "I need something lighter, something smaller" he shouted to the rescue divers. "There are some tight spots in there, and I can't get through with this Damn tank". His patience wore thin.

Danny recognized Steve's frustration and sat down next to him while Steve drank a bottle of water. "Let me go in with you" Danny suggested.

"No! The dive commander is right. It's very unstable down there. Every time I touch something or move something, everything shifts. He was right to call out his men. "

"You can't do this alone. " Danny added

"You don't have to sir" one of the rescue divers announced.

"That's right sir, I would also like to offer my services, sir" another diver announced

"You have been ordered to stay out of the water. I won't override your commander. He's right." Steve continued as he adjusted the smaller tank and prepared to reenter.

"With all due respect sir, our commander is an ass and we quit. We are just good Samaritans offering our expertise." The two divers looked at each other and nodded.

"Thank you, let's go, but be very careful, your safety comes first" Steve shook each of their hands.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Thank you again for all the reviews and alerts. **_

"Mary, wake up!" Catherine shouted startling Mary.

"Sorry, I am so tired. I want to go. Catherine, I can't do this anymore. " Mary was extremely lethargic

"No Mary, stay awake. Hey, come on. There is a cute little Detective out there somewhere who likes you. Please stay with me. Your brother will kill me if something happens to you." She hugged her and held her close. "Listen we need to take action, no one is looking for us and it's time we try something. Take this pipe and hit that piece of metal. Make a lot of noise. I am going to dive down and see if I can find a way to get that piece of concrete to move just enough to squeeze through. Got it?" Catherine ordered.

"Yeh, but you tried to move it before and couldn't." Mary had lost all hope.

"Mary, I just want to try again. Listen… do not stop making noise. Maybe someone will hear. Promise me." Catherine was afraid that once she tried to move the concrete brick that had trapped them; the other debris would fall and crush her. This was the only chance they had. At least Mary would be able to get out. "Mary, listen to me. When I move the block, swim out then up. Do not wait for me, just go."

"We stay together." Mary looked Catherine in the eyes. She suddenly realized what she was thinking. "No, no way. Catherine, you can't do that. I need you with me." Mary was crying.

"I'll be fine. You can do this Mary. You are strong and smart. Never let anyone tell you differently. I have only known you for two days and in that short time you have become the sister I never had. I love you." She paused "Tell that stubborn brother of yours that I love him, ok?" Before Mary had a chance to respond, Catherine took a deep breath and submerged herself into the water.

She scavenged around in the tight area that they were in and managed to find a short plank of wood. Carefully she wedged it into the corner of the block and using her legs as leverage she pushed hard trying to shift the block enough so that they could squeeze through. It was no use. She re-emerged taking a deep breath and returned to the task at hand. Mary continued to make as much noise as possible.

The divers had managed to recover the other patrons. The task was tedious and heart breaking. The area was getting more and more dangerous, as they moved, the debris was constantly shifting and the tide was rising. There were just two people that were missing, Mary and Catherine. They covered every part that was accessible and nothing; there was no sign of life or bodies. Nichols signaled Steve and Billings to return to the surface.

"Commander, I am sorry, but there is nothing down there. I am sorry, but there is no way they could have survived this long, they must be buried beneath the rubble." Nichols was extremely sympathetic to Steve's emotions but he felt it necessary to be blunt enough to make sure that Steve understood the reality of the situation.

"You don't think I know that they are probably dead! I am fully aware of that possibility! I have to find them either way. If they are dead, I have to bury my sister, my little sister. I have to send Cath's body back to her parents, her family will need closure, I need closure. I have to bury the only woman who I've ever loved. I am not stopping until I find them!" He shouted at the diver.

"Guys! Shut up, shut up! Listen, do you hear that?" Billings shouted over them.

Steve shouted to Danny "Danny! Stop the equipment! We need complete silence!"

Danny ran to the officer in charge of the scene. With one radio announcement to the other team leaders, there was nothing but complete silence. Everyone stopped and listened.

_Clang, clang, clang, clang_

The three divers looked at each other and immediately submerged themselves in the water. Using hand signals and flashlights they carefully listened as they tried to pinpoint where the noise was coming from. There was a wall of debris. Cement blocks, wood pilling and sheets of metal formed the wall. As they approached the sound got louder and louder. Steve pointed that they must be behind the debris. The three men immediately began moving block by block. They used whatever resource was available to chip away at corners, to wedge pieces away. Slowly they were able to make a space large enough to swim through, only to find another blockage. The sound was getting louder, but the clanging was not as steady. They knew that they were running out of time.

Mary was getting weaker and was finding it difficult to continue her task. The air pocket was now at the point where she had to tilt her head back to be able to get air. The water had reached eye level. Catherine continued to emerge every few minutes, grab a gasp of air and re-submerge. She was making progress, but not fast enough. She was growing tired, her hands and legs were bleeding; this would be her final attempt, as she could no longer hold her breath. Just as she had given up and decided to go back to Mary, to spend their final breaths together, she realized that she couldn't move her leg. The bandage that she had on had come unraveled and was caught between two blocks. She struggled and pulled. She tried to unwrap the bandage, but it was tangled and would not come off. She was trapped. The little breath she had left was gone and as she felt the final heart beats in her chest, she thought back to the evening before where she held Steve in her arms as she slept. She could see the steal blue of his eyes, staring into hers. She closed her eyes and holding on to that thought, she drifted into silence.

Suddenly she felt a tug at her arm and a regulator was thrust into her mouth. She gasped and her eyes opened. All she could see was an arm reaching through the small opening. She recognized that arm anywhere. It was Steve. Taking a few breaths, she began to regain her full consciousness. He passed her a SpareAir tank and signaled for her to stay back. She pointed to her trapped foot. Recognizing her dilemma, Steve signaled with thumbs up and reaching to his ankle strap, retrieved his Shark knife. He reached through the small opening and handed it to her. With one motion, she cut through the bandage, releasing her foot. She immediately emerged to find Mary holding her breath. The air bubble was gone and Mary was on her last breath. Catherine gave the hand held tank to Mary and the two women took turns taking breaths.

Steve and the others tugged and pulled and finally the block had shifted and a large enough space opened up. Steve swam through as debris began to fall. He grabbed Catherine and passed her off to Nichols, as he grabbed Mary and swam away. Chunks of cement and wood fell around them as they passed. They finally cleared the area and emerged from the water. At first there was complete silence as the crowd watched. Danny ran to the water's edge and as soon as he saw Mary and Catherine gasping and coughing, he shouted "They're alive!" Fully clothed, he jumped in and grabbed Mary from Steve's arms.

The Medics approached as they emerged from the water. They immediately placed Mary and Catherine on separate gurneys and strapped oxygen masks to them. They raced to the awaiting ambulance, with Danny at their side.

"Detective, there is not enough room in the ambulance. You cannot come with us, I am sorry" The Medic was adamant.

"That's fine I understand" He responded "We'll be right behind you girls!" He looked inside and Mary gave him the thumbs up as she reached across and held Catherine's hand.

Steve sat on the bed of his truck, with his head down and his hands covering his face. Danny approached throwing a towel on his back and sat down beside him. Steve looked up.

"Are you crying?" Danny was surprised

"Shut up Danny" Steve snarled

"Sorry, hey, they're ok, you know. You did it babe, you saved them" He placed his hand on Steve's shoulder.

Steve got up and walked to the edge of the water looking at the destruction. "I gave up on them Danny. I gave up. I had resigned myself to believe that they were dead. How could I give up so easily?" Steve was distraught

Danny approached "We all gave up, Steve. The fact that they are alive is nothing short of a miracle, A God damn miracle!" Danny paused as he looked at the debris. "You know, we should have known they would survive when no one else could"

"I don't understand" Steve was confused

"Well, they have no choice but to be survivors. One is a McGarrett and well, the other one is a future McGarrett, or is she a mermaid? I forget." Danny smirked and waited for a reaction.

Steve simply looked at Danny and in a brotherly gesture wrapped his arm around Danny's shoulder and pushed him in the water.

"Really? Seriously? I just dried off. How am I supposed to go to the hospital soaking wet? Huh babe? " Danny was not happy, but Steve was quite amused.

_**A SpareAir tank is a hand held dive tank about the size of a water bottle. It is usually used for emergencies and for free divers as a backup.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Time for some Steve and Danny ranting…**_

"I don't understand why these hospitals always have the worst coffee" Danny complained as he paced the room.

"It's really not that bad Danny" Steve responded as he was on his third cup.

"The Doctor did say they were going to page us when they were done examining the girls, right?" Danny questioned as he looked at his watch.

"Yes, Danny, he will call me" Steve answered in a monotone. He was clearly exhausted, both physically and emotionally.

They waited for hours as Danny looked at Steve, wanting to ask him a question, but was afraid to bring up any sore topics.

"What Danny? You seem like you have something to say" Steve glared at him in annoyance

"I just don't understand why you were so upset yesterday" Danny questioned

"Maybe it's because I don't appreciate my private life being discussed and analyzed by everyone I know" Steve was growing angry but was too tired to raise his voice.

"Are you kidding me? Your personal life is the only reason why we are even friends. It's the basis of our entire existence here in Hawaii" Danny couldn't believe his reaction

"This is different" Steve answered

"Yesterday, you were so pissed off at everyone, especially Catherine. Then you ended up sleeping together. Is this what you guys do? Because it really isn't any of my business, but this is not a healthy relationship" Danny continued and Steve interrupted.

"You're right it's none of your business. " Steve was annoyed

"It's just that after what happened today, well this weekend, I have no doubt that you love her and we all know that she loves you, but it's also obvious that the two of you don't talk. You guys really need to talk" Danny was giving advice.

"Oh, so Mr. Divorced is now a relationship expert" Steve was being sarcastic.

"Yes, it's because I am divorced that I can give you this advice. I get that the two of you have this animal attraction to each other, but you need to be honest with her and talk to her. If you love her and want her to stick around, stop seducing her and actually talk to her. You've been given a second chance" Danny placed his hand on Steve's shoulder.

"We have a strong relationship, we are not just lovers, she's my best friend, my oldest and dearest friend. We talk about a lot of stuff." Steve was defending himself

"Stuff? But are you talking about the right stuff?" Danny hated being so pushy but he felt that this needed addressing

"Listen Danny, I really do appreciate your concern…"

Before he could finish Danny interrupted "my concern is that I care about you and I don't want to see you hurt, I want you to be happy"

"Don't you think that I want to be happy? Don't you think that I want to one day get married and have kids and a normal family life? I do. I want that more than anything and Cath is who I want to have that with, but I can't do that now." He looked at Danny with remorse "Cath comes from a normal family, with a mother who stays home and bakes cookies and a father who loves and provides for his family. She has two brothers that actually get along. They have dinner together every Sunday and tell each other everything that is happening in their lives. I never had that. I want to give her that, but I'm afraid I can't" Tears flooded his eyes "As long as WoFat is free, I can't"

"Have you actually told her that? I am sure she would understand. Maybe if she knew all this, she wouldn't feel like she is stuck" Danny felt bad for Steve. He knew what it was like to have that and he felt bad that Steve was deprived of a normal family life.

"It's easier not to. We are good together and I'm afraid that if I tell her these things, she'll just give up and leave me. I don't want to lose her, so I have become very good at avoiding things." Steve lowered his head

"And she doesn't ask? Last night, she didn't want to discuss what happened?" Danny questioned

"No, apparently she has become very good at avoiding things too." Steve raised his eyebrow and pursed his lips.

"There you guys are! I have been looking everywhere for you." Mary came skipping in to the hospital cafeteria.

"Mary!" Steve and Danny exclaimed in unison.

"What are you doing? They released you? Are you ok?" Danny approached placing his arms around her and planting a kiss on her cheek.

"I'm good. The doctor cleared me and told me I was free to go" she answered while looking at Steve.

"Where's Cath? The Doctor was supposed to page me" Steve asked reluctantly. He suspected something was wrong. _If everything was fine she would be with Mary, _he thought to himself.

Mary released Danny's hold and approached Steve. "She's being admitted. Her hands and legs were pretty cut up and apparently she contracted an infection. Her fever is pretty high and the doctor administered some antibiotics, but it's not going down fast enough. They're going to keep her here for at least 24 hours, to make sure that the infection clears up. They are confident that she's going to be okay, but she's going to have to get a lot of rest"

Steve ran out of the Hospital Cafeteria and proceeded straight to the nurse's station. Mary and Danny followed closely behind.

_**I know that this is a little short, but I wanted the interaction between Steve and Danny, but didn't want it to be merged in with the final chapter. I hope it worked.**_


	9. Chapter 9

**_This is the final chapter. Thank you so much for your reading,reviews, PM's and Alerts. I hope that you enjoyed it and please let me know what you think. I appreciate each and every one of you._ **

Catherine was in a private room. Her hands and legs were bandaged as she was sleeping peacefully. The only sound was the slight beeping of the heart monitor and the steady drip of the IV. Steve leaned over gently placing a kiss on her lips. She was warm to the touch, causing Steve to react to the red pigment of her skin. He gently caressed her cheek and whispered "I love you". Searching for a comfortable place to sit, he retrieved a chair from the corner of the room and repositioned it next to her. Reclining back on the hind legs of the chair, he positioned his legs on the edge of the bed and tried to make himself comfortable. After several minutes, he fell asleep. The exhaustion had finally taken its toll on him.

The rising sun had illuminated the room in shades of orange, causing Catherine to open her eyes. She looked around the room, startled at first, until she took note of Steve sleeping in the chair next to her and carefully whispered "Steve" trying not to startle him. He jumped and the chair fell backwards. He was quick to react and was spared hitting the floor at full force.

"Are you ok?" Catherine didn't mean to scare him, but couldn't help but laugh at his reaction.

Steve stood up and composed himself. "I should be asking you that" He leaned into her and kissed her.

She reached up to touch his face, realizing that her hands were bandaged, she began to cry. She wanted to feel his skin against her hands and couldn't. He gently grabbed hold of her wrist and slowly brought it to his mouth, placing a gently kiss. "Your fever is down" he commented with a smile. She smiled back.

Looking around the room, she suddenly exclaimed "Mary, where's Mary? Is she ok?" there was urgency in her voice.

"She's fine. The doctor discharged her and she's getting a bite to eat with Danny. They'll be back soon." Steve tried to reassure her.

"You came for us. I didn't think you would be able to find us" her voice was raw and barely audible

"I've got your back, Cath. You know that. Whatever you think about me, I will always have your back" He smiled as he looked her directly in the eyes.

"What I think of you? Steve, I love you. That's what I think of you. I'm sorry. I don't even know what happened with us. We're still good right?" Catherine felt remorse for the fight they had.

"Of course, let's just forget about it. I will make it up to you. No more feeling stuck. I promise, I am just happy that I was able to find you in time" He gently caressed her cheek with his hand.

"Thank you. You saved our lives." She paused "Steve, I gave up. I let Mary down, I almost let you down. I couldn't do anymore. I tried, I really tried. If you didn't show up when you did…"

He interrupted "Cath, listen to me. You did good, you did real good. You saved Mary's life. If it weren't for you, she would be dead. Your training kicked in and you did exactly what you should have done. Do not apologize. You did not give up. Actually I should be the one to apologize to you"

She looked at him with confusion.

"I'm the one who gave up on you. I had let myself believe that you and Mary were dead. I wasn't there to rescue you; I was there to recover your bodies. I doubted you. I am so sorry." Tears filled his eyes.

"Steve, no, please don't. That doesn't matter. We're here and we're ok. I am so sorry that we were fighting. I should have never put that kind of pressure on you. I love you and I will be here for you as long as it takes. I am not going anywhere" Catherine wanted desperately to wipe the tears that fell from his eyes.

He hesitated "I haven't been completely honest with you. There is nothing that I want more than to be with you. I mean to be more with you, if that makes any sense. You see, there are some things that are going on that I wanted to keep you away from. Dangerous things, dangerous people that want me dead, me and everyone I care about. I want you in my life. Yesterday just made that more clear to me than ever before, but I can't make you any promises. I can't move on with us until I resolve this case. I can't put you in more danger." He was pacing the room as he spoke.

"If you are talking about WoFat, I already know. I know about Commander White, I know about Agent Kaye and Hiro Noshimuri. Steve, I know about it all." She tried to get his eye contact back, but he would not look at her.

"How? I don't understand. Who told you?" Steve could not understand.

"It's my job. Do you really think your little field trip to North Korea was a secret? Come on Steve, no one gets into North Korea without someone knowing about it, especially when a SEAL team is involved, off duty or not, humanitarian mission or not. The second that plane took off from Hickam, Naval Intelligence was notified and once Joe White's name came up, I was notified. I started to do some research and I pulled your cases. I know everything, Steve" Catherine explained.

Steve was shocked. He thought that he had successfully kept this from her.

"I know what the risks are, I am completely aware of how dangerous you are. You were dangerous for me the moment we met. I fell, I fell hard and it hurt like hell." She smiled

"I love you too" He smiled as he took his position at the edge of the bed and held her tight. "Cath once this is over, I will make it up to you. I want a future with you and I want to give you what you had growing up; I just need you to be patient with me."

She looked him straight in the eyes "Steve I don't want to recreate my childhood. I want to create a life with you, whatever that turns out to be. I am here and I am not going anywhere. I will stick around until you get sick of me and chase me away" She leaned over and kissed him as he held her tighter.

After a few moments of silence, Catherine turned and remarked "Now about Danny and Mary… Danny is good for her and she is good for him, so please, leave them alone and let it play out. Ok?" Her comment sounded more like an order than a suggestion.

"Ok. I am not sure I like this new friendship between you and Mary though" He raised a brow.

"Really? I would have thought that you would be thrilled. What are you afraid of? My influence on her or her influence on me?" Catherine smirked

"Neither. It's the sharing of information. Promise me she will no longer get the scoop on our relationship, and you will never give me the scoop on her and Danny. I really do not want to know what my sister and my best friend are doing together. Deal?" he asked reluctantly

"Deal!" she smiled. They both started to laugh and he leaned over and hugged her tightly, placing a kiss on her forehead.

Danny and Mary entered the room and smiled at the sound of laughter. "I guess you're feeling better" Danny stated "But what's so funny?" He asked.

"Yeh, what's so funny?" Mary asked

"Nothing!" Steve and Catherine answered as they erupted in more laughter.

"Well, I thought you would like to know that I heard from Duke and the driver of the boat had a heart attack, that's why he lost control, but the owner of the building has been arrested. The Chief is throwing the book at him. He's going away for a long time." Danny approached Steve and Catherine as he spoke. "I guess you were right after all" he said to Steve as he took note of how good Catherine appeared, despite her ordeal.

"As much as I like to hear you say that I am right, what am I right about?" He questioned

"She _IS_ a Mermaid, how else do you explain it?" Danny smiled

"What does he mean by that?" Catherine questioned

"Never mind" He whispered to Catherine.

"She doesn't know about the mermaid?" Danny knew it was a secret, but it was so easy to push Steve's buttons, and he loved to do it.

"Shut up Danny" Steve gently punched Danny in the arm.

"See what I mean, sharing of information. Too much sharing of information" Steve was shaking his head from side to side in frustration

Danny, Mary and Catherine erupted into laughter, as Steve sat on the edge of the bed, holding his head and continued to mumble "Too much sharing"

_**The End**_

_**Well? I hope you enjoyed this. A little secret: This started out as two separate stories. I was at a block for both of them, but when I put them together, it just seemed to click. Thank you so much for following this. I appreciate it so much and enjoy ready the reviews and comments. **_


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